This invention relates to liquid-spraying systems comprising
(a) an elongated tubular conduit means adapted for the flow of liquid therethrough, PA1 (b) a tube wall of liquid-tight, elastically resilient material, PA1 (c) liquid feeding means connected to one of the ends of the conduit means, PA1 (d) closing means for at least substantially closing off the other end of the conduit means, and PA1 (e) a plurality of perforations of substantially circular cross sectional area through the tube walls and leading from the conduit interior to outside of the external tube wall surface. PA1 (i) the perforations have an outlet size in the order of 0.8 mm.sup.2, and are preferably circular, having a diameter the order of 1 mm, i.e. of from about 0.8 to 1.2 mm, PA1 (ii) the length of the spraying zone of the hose is from about 10 to 20 meters, PA1 (iii) the number of perforations is about 150 to 400 over the entire length of the helix, the distance between two adjacent perforations being constant and in the range of from 2.5 to at most 10 cm, and preferably from about 5 to 7 cm, PA1 (iv) the internal width of the tube is about 15 mm and the perforations are located in a substantially straight row on the inner side of the tubular conduit and are adapted for directing each a fine liquid jet radially toward said helix axis at the respective level of the perforation above the ground. PA1 (1) the tube wall material is a thermoplastic synthetic resin, preferably a polyamide of a nylon type such as polymerized laurolactam, Grilamid, Polyamide 12 (1 25 W 40 ) or an at least partially aromatic polyamide. being the most preferred material as it has particularly desirable smoothness and resistance to temperature and stability to aging; PA1 (2) the number of the perforations is at least 15 and preferably about 20 per meter of the spraying zone, PA1 (3) the thickness of the wall tube is from about 0.8 to 2.5 mm; PA1 (4) the distance between two adjacent windings of the helix is about 10 to 20 cm; and/or PA1 (5) the diameter of the helix winding is about 75 to 100 cm.
It will be understood that the tubular conduit means, e.g. a hose, has two ends and an elongated conduit interior extending from one end of the conduit means to the other, that the tube wall surrounds the elongated conduit interior and has an external and an internal tube wall surface, and that the liquid feeding means are adapted for causing liquid to flow into the conduit interior.
The present application is a division of application Ser. No. 06/852,633 filed Apr. 16, 1986 and now U.S. Pat. 4,749,130 which in turn is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 06/523,175 filed Aug. 15, 1983 and now abandoned.
More particularly, such shower system comprises
(a) an elongated tubular conduit means adapted for the flow of liquid therethrough, having two ends and an elongated conduit interior extending from one end of the conduit means to the other, and being of the configuration of a helix having a central helix axis and confining an internal helix space,
said helix being adapted for positioning with its axis disposed substantially vertically, the diameter and height of the helix being such as to house a person standing or sitting within the internal space of the helix of vertically disposed helix axis, which conduit means comprise:
(b) a tube wall of liquid-tight, elastically resilient material, being non-swelling in contact with water of a temperature of 60.degree. C. or higher and with organic extraction solvents, which tube wall surrounds the elongated conduit interior and has an external and an internal tube wall surface,
(c) one end of the conduit means is adapted for connection to a source of bath water of adjustable temperature,
(d) closing means for at least substantially closing off the other end of the conduit means,
(e) a plurality of substantially capillary-active and uniform perforations preferably of substantially circular cross-sectional area through the tube wall leading from the conduit interior to outside the external tube wall surface, which perforations are substantially uniformly distributed.
This type of shower system has been described in the French patent to S.A. dite SAEREXI, of Calvados, France, having Publication No. 2,032,014. This shower system is also provided with suspension means connecting the windings of the tube constituting the helix at a given spacing and support means from which the suspension means depend and which can comprise a system of crinoline-like rings.
However, when using tubes having a conventional type of perforation in a given configuration and arrangement of the holes in the tube wall, it has been found that the user will not be able to suffer, over a prolonged period of time, i.e. several minutes up to 5 or even 10 minutes, water jets having a temperature of more than 40.degree. C., and usually only about 38.degree. to 39.degree. C., i.e. one or two degrees above normal body temperature.
When taking a normal shower, a water temperature above 40.degree. C. (104.degree. F.) is barely supported by the user The shower also has a stimulating effect on blood circulation, however the bundle of water impinges in a relatively limited area of the user's body and still leaves areas of the skin unattained which permits the user to register temperatures differences which cause such person to stop the shower, usually without having reached transpiration. On an average, a shower is used by a person for less than 3 minutes.
Installations as can be found in spas, which permit thermal baths or prolonged showers, require costly apparatus and personnel.
Moreover, it is difficult to avoid a pressure drop over a distance of several meters and maintain a uniform ejection of liquid from so many nozzles when the nozzle openings have been punched or pierced in such material as sheet iron or the like metal, when the available pressure is in the order of water pressure from the city main. The longer the distance from the pressure source and the larger the number of nozzles, the more difficult does it become to maintain a relatively uniform ejection of the water.